Moment of Weakness
by ponygirl72
Summary: 9th Doctor,Rose,Jack. Spoiler warning, POTW missing scene. Even heroes are allowed a moment of weakness.


**Moment of Weakness**

"We're going," the Doctor declared, turning his back on the Dalek Emperor.

Jack led Rose through the TARDIS doors as the booming voice outside rose in anger, commanding them to stay. The grating voices of the Emperor's minions echoed after them, muffled but not eliminated as the doors closed behind the Doctor.

_"STAY... WHERE...YOU... ARE!"_

_"EXTERMINATE... EXTERMINATE!"_

The sound of Dalek weapons sizzling against the forcefield mingled with the battle cries as Jack circled the console to check the hastily patched-in extrapolator currently protecting them from the onslaught outside. He looked up to give the Doctor a status report, only to find that he and Rose were alone by the ship's controls.

Glancing back the way they'd come, Jack felt his stomach clench at the sight of the Doctor, leaning heavily against the closed doors, visibly trembling from head to foot. His hand shot out, grabbing Rose's arm harder than he had intended.

"Wha-?" she said in surprise, her eyes flying up to his face before following his gaze to the man at the doors. Pulling free of his grip, she hurried back down the ramp, slowing as she approached the Doctor and stepping around where he could see her with his peripheral vision.

Jack followed more cautiously, watching as Rose covered one of his hands, splayed against the panelling of the door, with her own. Curling her fingers around his, she eased his hand away from the ship, cradling it against her heart. Her free hand went to his cheek, gently bringing him around to look at her.

Stopping a step behind her, Jack flinched at the look on the Time lord's face. It was the look on the faces of the soldiers in World War II London who woke in the barracks, dry eyed and shaking, from dreams of watching their buddies being blown to bits on the battlefields of Europe. Only worse.

It was, Jack realized with a jolt, the look of someone who's entire world had been destroyed to the soundtrack of the weapons fire still crackling away on the other side of the door. The cowardly part of him was glad that look was directed at Rose and not him. He got the distinct impression that Rose had seen it before, knew what to do.

She was talking to him quietly, telling him that he didn't have to do this alone, that they were here and they wouldn't leave him. With a flash of insight, Jack put together all the little snippets of information he'd gained about their mysterious traveling companion.

Last survivor of a War so unimaginable that it was assumed to be a fairy tale. Of a race so advanced that their ships were alive. The man who'd single-handedly brought a fiery end to a conflict that could have wiped out reality altogether.

_Oh, God._

Stepping forward, he pulled both of his friends into an embrace. Rose was still reassuring the Doctor quietly, and he had stopped shaking, closing his eyes and bowing his head as he collected himself.

"She's right, you know," said Jack, easing back a few inches so he could see them. "You're stuck with us. You know, I feel better now, actually."

Both of the others looked at him oddly.

"Knowing you're not completely invincible, I mean," he continued in response to their confused looks. His blue eyes twinkled with mock innocence. "I was beginning to get a complex."

He was rewarded with a ghost of a smile from the Doctor and a shove from Rose.

"C'mon," he said, ushering the others back up to the console. "We need to get out of here, and then we need to think of a plan of action."

The Doctor circled the controls, inputting coordinates and then hitting the dematerialization lever. The sounds of the Daleks faded away, replaced by the TARDIS engines warping the space around them.

"I have a plan," said the Doctor, looking up at them.

"Never doubted it," replied Rose with a grin.

"It's not a very good one, though," he cautioned.

"Probably just needs some fine tuning," Jack chipped in.

"Let's hope," said the Time Lord. "Jack, as soon as we're out of range of the Daleks, disconnect the extrapolator. We're going to need it. Rose, go get my tool kit."

They nodded and headed for their respective tasks.

"We're going back to Satellite Five."

**FIN**


End file.
